Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Starting Tuesday, October 6th, Lelia Chealey of Write From the Heart will be hosting a fall study on Lysa Terkeurst's new book entitled 'Becoming More Than A Good Bible Student.'

Excerpt from Chapter 1

How might our lives look if we were so filled with God's truths we could let go of the pain of our past, not get tripped up by the troubles of today, or consumed by worries about tomorrow?

Sound impossible? It is impossible when we try to make it happen on our own by doing more good Bible study girl things. Praying, reading the Bible, doing another Bible study, going to church, and being nice are wonderful and necessary. But just going through the motions of these activities will not fill our souls. They must be done with the great expectation and heart cry for God to lead us into a deeper and more life-changing connection with Him.

Monday, September 28, 2009

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." John 9:3 (NIV)

Devotion:

Jesus had a unique way of clearing up misconceptions by helping people see truth as it was meant to be. For example, in John 9 we find Jesus refuting the traditional explanation of suffering when His disciples point to a man born blind and ask, "Who sinned, this man or his parents?" In other words, they wanted to know Why did he deserve blindness? Jesus answers frankly, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

The disciples looked backwards to find out why the man was blind. Jesus redirects their attention by pointing forward and upward with a new and different perspective.

Usually, our response to challenges or suffering is determined by our perspective.

When our focus is inward on ourselves or outward on circumstances, our natural response is fear, insecurity, grumbling and despair. I know. I've been there far too often. Have you?

Yet, Jesus redirects our questions and our focus. In doing so, it causes us to see suffering in a new light that disproves the old tradition. Not all suffering is a direct result of sin. Pain has a higher purpose in our lives. It's not necessarily there because we deserve it. It's to reveal God's glory.

Suffering is meant to refine us.James says it makes us "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (1:4b, ESV).Pain drives us to seek the heart and will of God.

Perhaps you and I have been going at it all wrong. We've been looking backwards in the rearview mirror of life asking, "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" Instead, we should look forward and up asking, "What's the purpose of my pain? What's the end result? What is God trying to do, accomplish, or teach me?"

These types of questions enable us to hold out hope for the future. They remind us our suffering can be transformed or redeemed. Tragedies and hardships like the loss of a spouse, a child, a limb, a job, or a home can be used to display God's work and make us more like Jesus.

Isn't it time you and I looked up? An upward focus brings about a supernatural response that reflects trust and confidence in God, as He brings about His glorious work in each of us.

Dear Lord, give me a new perspective today. Help me see the real meaning of my suffering. Enable me to trust You with the good work You are accomplishing in my life through this pain. I long for You to be glorified in this trial. Give me the strength I need to make that happen. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Visit Micca's blog, Reflections, and find out more about her resources here.

Application Steps:

Choose not to look in the review mirror of life today. Instead, look forward. Ask God "to what end" is my suffering. Look for evidence of how God is at work refining your faith and character to match His.

Reflections:

What do you think God is trying to accomplish in your life through your suffering?

The blind man learned something about Christ from being healed. What have you learned about Christ from your experience?

Power Verses:

1 Peter 4:12-13, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed" (NIV).

Friday, September 18, 2009

* Log on at 7 p.m. EDT and join CBN for the live webcast of 'CBN Celebrates Rosh Hashanah'Watch the webcast* Special greetings and teaching from Pat and Gordon Robertson

* Musical guest Paul Wilbur

* The Messiah Company and the Academie de Ballet Dancers

* Shofarist Don Heist and a choir of shofars

* Bonfire service of consecrationAbout Rosh HashanahThe name Rosh Hashanah means "beginning or head of the year." This celebration marks the beginning of the High Holy Days on the Jewish calendar. The Bible refers to Rosh Hashanah as the Feast of Trumpets, and it begins the Ten Days of Awe that conclude with Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. This is a wonderful time to seek the Lord, repent for wrongdoing, and consecrate ourselves to God, thanking Him for His work in our lives.Find out more about Rosh Hashanah.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Love, love, love this Bible. This is the first book that I chose to review for B & B Media Inc. and I am so grateful for the opportunity to review this highly anticipated release.

When I had the opportunity to review The Transformation Study Bible; it was an easy choice, as I had been recently searching for a new study Bible. In fact, this very Bible was on my wishlist at Christian Book Distributors to purchase.

I eagerly awaited the arrival of The Transformation Bible; and was absolutely thrilled with it right from the start!

Flipping through The Transformation Bible, it was easy to see that this Bible would become a quality resource for my quiet time with God.

The Bible's full text is written in New Living Translation and includes accompanying notes from the 50 books in the 'Be' series by Dr. Wiersbe. It also includes: book outlines, book overviews, catalyst notes, study notes, cross references, concordance, charts and maps, as well as a "Be Transformed."

This Bible is POWER-packed! A quality resource for those wanting to be transformed by the POWER of God's Word. I highly recommend The Transformation Study Bible.

~ Karla Meachem

I received this book free from The B & B Media Group Inc. book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissio's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonies in Advertising."

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX—As pastors seek to make the Word of God more understandable in an age that is unfamiliar with the Bible, and as growing disciples seek to discover the truth of Scripture in a skeptical culture, there is a great need for guidance in both the preaching and study of God’s Word. Whether you’re a pastor, a seminary student, or a truth-seeking disciple, an understanding of the Bible can be made clear to you with the help of one of the most influential, in-depth, and practical Bible scholars in modern history.

For over thirty years, millions have come to rely on the timeless wisdom of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s “Be” Commentary series. Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary and insights on Scripture have helped readers understand and apply God’s Word with the goal of life transformation. According to Dr. Wiersbe, “It isn’t enough for us simply to read assigned portions of the Bible each day, as helpful as that is. A truly transforming experience involves meditating on what we read (Ps. 1:2), studying it carefully in the light of other verses, and then obeying what God tells us to do (Josh. 1:8).” Now available for the first time, The Transformation Study Bible offers the full text of the highly readable New Living Translation with accompanying notes and commentary from the 50 books in Dr. Wiersbe’s “Be” series.

“The Transformation Study Bible will better enable readers to appreciate, appropriate, and apply the Word of God, which will result in ‘purity, joy, right values, hope, comfort, freedom, new life, peace, guidance, wisdom, integrity, encouragement, and effective prayer,’” states Wiersbe. In other words, if you want to be a new person, knowing and obeying the will of God and becoming more like Jesus Christ, there is perhaps no finer tool to encourage that process than The Transformation Study Bible.

One of the most anticipated and comprehensive study Bibles of the year, The Transformation Study Bible has been a lifetime in the making by a man who is widely known as a prolific and trusted writer and theologian. The former pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago, an internationally known Bible teacher, and someone who has given his life to a deep examination of the Word of God, Dr. Wiersbe lends his vast experience and scholarly insight to the most beloved and revered book of all time. This effort is to encourage believers of all levels to know and love the Bible and to experience the same transformation that has radically changed his life. The result is a Bible that is clear, understandable, and applicable to the lives of its readers.

Dr. Wiersbe writes, “The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength.” By providing a new set of tools for Bible students of all levels, David C Cook and Warren Wiersbe have partnered to provide an essential tool to help bring the “perspective” and “renewed strength” that comes from a life transforming study of God’s Word. This fantastic and long awaited resource will bring more clarity than ever before to the study of God’s Word.

Since 1987, The B & B Media Group, Inc. has used its broadcasting, marketing and advertising experience to provide the specialized and strategic publicity necessary to achieve the public relations goals of each client. The Barnabas Agency, a division of The B & B Media Group, Inc., is a proven provider of exceptional public relations and personal management services for authors, speakers, ministries and organizations.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to “swallow us up.” This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can’t move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us. God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart.Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we’re deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us.When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A few of God’s holding patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no Mountains that are high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him.We must remember to praise Him while we’re waiting and remember three things:• The pattern has a purpose.

• The pattern has a plan.

• The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting.He’ll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, “I love you.”

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, butour competence comes from God. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:5We are qualified BECAUSE He qualifies us! We just NEED TO STEP OUT IN FAITH and begin to follow His lead.Join A Woman Inspired for their first Annual 'StepInto Ministry Conference.' Join them September 15th for this FREE ONLINE CONFERENCE! Register for free.

* only 1000 spaces are available; register early *

Check out the speakers:Lisa McKay, The Preacher's Wife, will begin at 7 pm CST with a session entitled: When God's Will and a Woman's Dreams Collide"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." ~ Philippians 2:13 {ESV}

In considering lives of ministry, most women fall in to two categories: The Clueless or The Cowards. We either have no idea what God is asking of us or we are horrified to risk acting on our desires.

In this session, Lisa will present relevant Scriptures which explore the mysterious way God's will and a woman's dreams intertwine. Also expect many practical suggestions on how to step into God's good intentions for you!

Kristen Schiffman, Founder and editor of Exemplify Online, will be speaking at 8:30 pm CST with a session entitled: No Stage, No Lights: Doing The Archippus Thing

Do you feel called to serve in ministry? Not sure where to start now that you've taken the plunge or how to best serve the community the Lord has called you to? Whether you are a mother called to the ministry of homeschooling, a missionary in Uganda or an executive called to serve Christ in the workplace, God has a very specific purpose for you. Often times it is not the first step into ministry that is the most daunting, it is sticking it out!

In Colossians 4:17 Paul wrote to Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord."

Today, the Lord says that to you. Join Kristen Schiffman as she explores our biblical call to "do the Archippus thing". We'll learn what it means to continually see to the ministries the Lord has entrusted to us and how we can better offer our hearts to His service.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

You don’t have to be one of the many statistics who are throwing in the towel and walking out.

Did you know that over 1500 pastors are leaving the ministry each and every month?!

This does not have to happen. God is on your side, but there is evidence of an enemy who uses certain devices hidden to many in order to weaken, frustrate and extract the good things God has placed in you.

2 Cor.2:11 – Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices

This truth will surprise you at how simple the solutions are; yet you will see how the devil has disguised these simple truths, hoping that you never ‘get it’ so he can continue to weaken you, dilude you and eventually eliminate you from the race.

Susan's Passion: To stop Pastors burnout and reverse it; as well as Pastors wives burnout. To inspire, motivate, edify, exhort & comfort, as well as train. Her ideal client is someone who knows the importance of investing in themselves & in their success, & realizes that 2 heads (or more) are better than one & that together we will make a difference!Learn more about Susan & her programs at:http://www.susandavidlifecoach.com/

Leadership Network asked some of the church's greatest communicators: "If you had nine minutes to talk one-on-one with thousands of church leaders, what is the one thing that you would tell them? The result is a series of passionate and personal messages that will help you and your church navigate into the future.

The format is simple: Nine minute video leadership lessons that can help multiply your church's impact. You will be stretched as a leader, and motivated as a church. And you'll hear a personal word from many of the leaders you know and trust (along with some great new leaders we'll introduce you to). It all starts at 9:00 a.m. Central time on 09/09/09. We'll make a day of it. The conference will probably last around nine hours! You can come and go as you please, but hope that you'll be with us the whole day!

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

In the midst of our busy lives, it can often be difficult to find the time to get into the Word. Now, whether you're driving your car or working at your computer, you canlisten to the New Testament and let its message speak to your heart wherever you are!